


Dying in LA

by enbyred



Series: Pray for the Wicked [6]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Lost Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-15 19:14:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18079307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enbyred/pseuds/enbyred
Summary: Gabriel finds love in his rise to fame. He loses love, but not the fame.





	Dying in LA

**Author's Note:**

> Based off Panic! at the Disco's [Dying in LA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iahWWAr82Q0)

When Gabriel had first started his journey in fashion, it was a whirlwind. He had been called a genius, a prodigy. His family had never quite understood why. They weren't sure why he decided to attend art school and preferred drawing dresses his family believed no one would ever wear. His brothers liked to tease him for his love of sewing, his mother was relieved that he had such a skill. No one expected his name to become the most well-known brand in France.

As a designer, he was to make an appearance onstage at the beginning of his first fashion show. If there was one thing he hated, it was being in front of a crowd. To his chagrin, he had been the student in school to get sick before presentations in front of the class.

Sitting backstage, waiting for his first onstage appearance at his debut fashion show, he stared at the floor. It was loud backstage with models and crew milling about, and he heard none of it. Somehow he was able to answer a question here and there about how a piece was to be worn, but he attributed it to being routine. He fixated on a scuff mark on the floor, tunnel vision not allowing him to see anything else as he stared, unhearing, unfeeling.

He jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Oh dear," said the blond model in a forest green gown crouched beside him, her hand on his arm. Her eyebrows were knit together in concern. "You're shaking like a leaf. You're Mr. Agreste, right? Are you okay?"

It took a moment for her words to process, and not only because her green eyes were captivating. He nodded and looked back at the floor. "Just...nervous to be onstage. I prefer staying behind the scenes." Looking back up at her, he asked, "Did you need something?"

With a winning smile, she replied, "I just wanted to thank you, Mr. Agreste. I think your designs are lovely, and I'm honored to be wearing some of your pieces tonight. I know you're going to go really far in fashion."

He felt a corner of his lips twitch upwards and he straightened himself in his seat. "Thank you, Miss...?"

"Charette." She stood and extended her hand to shake his. "Emilie Charette. And, as someone who's been onstage in a few fashion shows, I think it's good for you to know that it gets easier. And all you need to do is look handsome and say 'thank you.' The only thing you need to worry about is the second part!"

Gabriel felt himself blush, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thank you. I can only hope that I won't choke."

"You'll do fine." She brushed a reassuring hand over his arm again.

A member of the crew rushed over to tell them it was time to take their places, and as Emilie said that she needed to get in line, Gabriel caught her by the wrist.

"You can call me Gabriel. You don't need to call me Mr. Agreste."

Emilie smiled again. "Well, I hope I'll be seeing more of you after this, Gabriel."

-

They had. Again and again. She ended up working for Gabriel brand and was the face model for his designs. Rumors spread around the company about Mr. Agreste and Ms. Charette - were they together? Was she sleeping her way to the top? Was he using her? Surely Gabriel Agreste couldn't be  _ that _  much of a sap, and surely Emilie was too sweet to be with someone who had such a cold exterior.

"Do you think we should be public about our relationship?" Gabriel asked one night as Emilie handed him a cup of tea and curled up on the couch.

She shook her head. "Let them think what they want. For now, they don't have any solid evidence about anything, and that means that no one can  _ actually _  try to claim that we're using each other for status."

Gabriel sighed. "They'll say it anyway. People will write articles that others will take as fact. We'll be looked down upon, Emilie. I'll be accused of...I don't know, favoring you because of our relationship instead of favoring you because you're the best model with Gabriel brand."

"Certainly not the best." She took a sip of her tea. "But thank you."

With a smile, Gabriel replied, "I only hire the best, and that's what you are."

Emilie leaned in and kissed him softly.

"Let's get married," she whispered.

Silence passed between them for a few moments before Gabriel nodded. "Let's do that."

-

People had made accusations, just as they had predicted. People lashed out in anger and tried to destroy Gabriel brand. Still, they happily married. They happily lived together, happily continued their lives in fashion, and a year later, they were happily pregnant.

Sitting at his desk, Emilie mused, "What should we name this little one?" She scrolled through baby names on Gabriel's computer.

"Darling," Gabriel sighed, coming over to stand by her, "you know that computer is for work use only."

She pouted at him. "But Gabriel, I  _ can't _  work while I'm pregnant with Flavien."

"We are  _ not _  naming our child Flavien."

"Excellent, then I'll keep looking at names." She turned her attention back to the computer and continued scrolling.

Gabriel chuckled and bent down to open a drawer of his desk, extracting a small book of baby names. "Look in there. Nathalie and I will be needing my computer when she gets back from lunch."

"I think Nathalie works too much. You should give her some paid vacation time."

Shrugging, Gabriel informed her, "She's never asked for a day off. I would grant it if she asked me."

"Then remind her that she's allowed to take some time for herself." With a smirk, Emilie stood and approached her husband, pulling on his lapel when she reached him. "Maybe if Nathalie takes some time for herself, I'll get some time with my husband."

A pink dusting on his cheeks, Gabriel removed Emilie's hands as she pouted. "The new line launches soon, I have lots of work to do. It'll all be done by the time Jacques gets here."

Wrinkling her nose, Emilie shook her head. "Not Jacques." She waved the book at him and said, "I'll pick out some that I like, then you and I can go over the list tonight, yeah? We'll get there." She stalked out of the office, heart falling that she again failed in keeping her husband's attention for more than a few minutes. She knew that it didn't have anything to do with Ms. Sancoeur. The woman was interested in nothing but work.

As happy as Emilie was for her husband, she couldn't say that she didn't miss him. His work days were getting longer, and the only time she could spend with him was when she caught him between meetings or if she insisted on having coffee with him in the morning before he started working. Those mornings were growing more infrequent, and she could only hope that the launch of the new line would bring with it more free time for him to spend with their child. Claude? Felix? Allan? Adrien? Adrien sounded nice. She would have to point that one out to Gabriel the next time she caught him.

-

"Mrs. Agreste," said Nathalie's monotone voice over the intercom. "Your husband needs you down in his office."

Rolling her eyes, Emilie set down her book and trekked downstairs to make an appearance in the office she hated. Gabriel had moved Nathalie's desk right outside of his office, like she was his guard dog, or his bouncer. Nobody gets in to see Mr. Agreste without proper clearance. And usually, he was too busy for his wife to have proper clearance.

Nathalie nodded and gestured for Emilie to enter the office freely. Annoyed that she needed permission, she carelessly flung the door open to see Gabriel at his desk, Adrien on his lap. The four-year-old was scribbling on a piece of paper with one of Gabriel's nice pencils. Served him right, she thought bitterly.

"There you are," he sighed in relief. "You're supposed to make sure Adrien doesn't get in here. He came in when Nathalie went to run an errand for me, and he was about to go at an important design with a pen. I barely caught him in time to give him a piece of scrap paper."

Adrien proudly held up his green, red, and black scribbles, holding them close to Gabriel's face.

"Yes, Adrien," Gabriel muttered, shifting the child's arm further from his face. "Go show your mother. She'll be happy to play with you."

Sliding off of Gabriel's lap, Adrien ran to Emilie to show her the scribbles. She grinned and ruffled his hair, commenting on his artistic genius.

"Give me just a moment," Emilie requested, escorting him to the door. "Nathalie will take you to the kitchen to get lunch, and I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?"

She closed the door behind the boy and turned to face an annoyed Gabriel.

"You know that he can't be in here while I work, Emilie," he sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "There's too many things he can get into, too much that a child can't be around." He gestured to the design pinned on the wall that Adrien had tried to vandalize. "Audrey Bourgeois is going to be reviewing my designs soon, and whatever she writes is going to be the thing that makes the company take flight, or destroys it and runs us into the ground." Putting his head into his hands, he stared at his desk.

Emilie took a deep breath and made her way over to her husband, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder. "You'll do fine, my butterfly. Audrey thinks you can do nothing wrong." With a light laugh, she added, "I remember her walking in, telling us at the top of her voice that fringe was out, that it would be a crime for anyone to wear fringe. Then she saw a dress you designed with fringe, and said that it was the most fashionable thing she had ever seen, and fringe was on its way to making a beautiful comeback."

She felt tension leave his shoulders as he let out a breath he'd been holding.

"You're right," he muttered, picking up his pen and tapping it against his desk. "You're right. I'm...I'm sorry, Emilie. The company, the evaluation, Audrey, Adrien...it can be too much sometimes."

Leaning on his desk, she said, "You need to find someone to help you manage the company. You can't keep doing it all on your own like this."

He desperately looked up at her. "If I don't do it on my own, what am I?"

Taking his face in her hands, she whispered, "Human."

-

"I'm sorry, Emilie."

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he held the small box in his hands, trembling. If this worked like his research said it would, then this would help him to do what he had to. Emilie wouldn't approve. But she would understand. Wouldn't she?

He opened the box and shielded his eyes from a blinding light as a small, purple creature with wings materialized in front of him.

"Hello, Master," it said. "My name is Nooroo. I can grant you the power of generosity to give powers to others."

Gabriel fastened the brooch to his shirt. "I need your help to get my wife back."

Nooroo nodded. "We can work as a team to find her. You merely must say, 'Wings rise.'"

Taking a shaky breath, Gabriel told the kwami quietly, "I don't think 'finding her' is within the realm of possibility. But you're still going to help me. Dark wings rise."


End file.
